Contents

Summary

Despite his greatest effort at the Royal Rumble, even though Triple H was unable to answer a ten count during their Last Man Standing Match, and as much as Stone Cold Steve Austin himself admitted that he deserves a rematch, Shawn Michaels had been reduced to spectator status as the World Heavyweight Championship was going up for grabs at WrestleMania XX. On RAW, that reality became painfully clear to Michaels, who was unable to fully embrace the reality that his shot may not come although he never lost the match at the Rumble.

Michaels was the odd man out, and despite Austin's challenge for HBK to do something about it, by evening's end, he seemed as if he had run out of options. The one choice Michaels could make, he did – forming what was termed an “uneasy alliance” with Chris Benoit. Benoit, who won his RAW debut over Mark Henry, shared a handshake with Michaels after Benoit's presence helped stave off an attack from Triple H. As much as the shake signified agreement, the look in Michaels’ face made it clear that he was not satisfied because Benoit had what Michaels also wanted.

If there is any consolation for Michaels, he was victorious over Randy Orton in a non-title match, thanks to the presence of Mick Foley. Michaels scored the pinfall over Orton when Foley walked down the aisle, causing a distraction that Michaels took advantage of. Earlier in the night, Orton had used his Intercontinental Championship Belt to attack and knock out Foley, declaring that Foley was “still (Orton’s) bitch.” At the end of the evening, Foley got his revenge.

In other action on RAW, for the second straight week, strange events surrounded the presence of Kane as the paranormal continued. During his match with Goldberg, Kane seemed to have the upper hand when suddenly the lights went out and a bolt of lightning hit the ring. When order was restored, the surreal continued when Goldberg seemed ready to attempt a Jackhammer. Suddenly, the lights again went out and smoke filled the ring, sending both Goldberg and the referee out of the ring, and leaving Kane to ponder the recent events he had faced.

And if the sight of Chris Benoit on RAW last week was enough to make Paul Heyman's blood boil, just imagine how he felt this week! In the second straight bombshell from the RAW side, Stone Cold Steve Austin gave Goldberg the opportunity to see Brock Lesnar up close and personal. At No Way Out—a SmackDown! event where Brock Lesnar defended the WWE Championship against Eddie Guerrero—Goldberg got a front row seat, thanks to Austin! Austin told Goldberg to not only represent RAW but to represent the good nature of Stone Cold Steve Austin as well, and concluded with some ominous words, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

RAW also saw the confirmation of last week's rumor that Playboy Magazine is looking for the hottest WWE Divas to feature in an upcoming issue. And it seemed as if RAW is the home to the hottest of them all as Stacy Keibler made her way to the ring for the second straight week to join Miss Jackie and Rico. And if the site of Keibler and Miss Jackie standing together was not enough to send the Penn State University crowd into a frenzy, Keibler's dance with Miss Jackie surely was. Keibler declared that herself and Miss Jackie are the two hottest WWE Divas ... and nobody seemed willing to offer disagreement!